MUNSTER -- A pastor at Family Christian Center, Sonny
Michael, 45, was killed in a hunting accident on Wednesday morning in Fulton
County.

Michael, an avid hunter, fell after a 13-foot-high deer
stand he had climbed on for better surveillance collapsed.

"He was just a fanatic about hunting," said David Jordan
Allen, the church's public relations director. "We lost a very important
pastor at Family Christian Center. We are just at a loss for words."

Michael spent 17 years at Operation Care, the church's
food pantry, which also supplied clothing and emergency funds to families in
need.

"He would feed over 450 families a week," Allen said. "He
did a dynamite job in filling people's needs. He would make sure they had
plenty of food and clothes. He would also dig deep into his own pocket to
help the needy. He was a giver of his time and talents, an encourager of
those who hit rock bottom."

Michael had two children, Brandon, 20, and Kim 19. He and
his wife, Linda, live in Schererville.

"He was a fabulous father, everyone loved him," said his
daughter, Kim. "He was such a comedian, he could even make you smile on a
bad day."

Funeral services for Michael will be held at 11 a.m.
Monday at Family Christian Center. Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 p.m.
and from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Lincoln Ridge Funeral Home, 7607 W. Lincoln
Highway, Schererville.